Many people can ride septa for free already: senior citizens, namely, and students have discounted rates. These are great, as is the commuter pass pilot where employees of Penn, Drexel, etc got to ride for free.

Why should people who can pay not pay? It is revenue for a system that really needs it. As polls have shown, people choose not to ride septa because of issues around cleanliness and perceived safety, not because it is prohibitively expensive.

Also, as someone mentioned, there is no guarantee that the state or federal legislature will pick up the(large/increased) tab.

I am sympathetic to the idea, but will never understand the logic behind just "making it free". That seems like it would deal a death blow to an already critically ill system.

Cost is not a deterrent for most; it is convenience and comfort/perceived safety. And the "safety" part is a multifaceted issue that will only get better when the whole country responds to the opioid crisis, not just septa...

(Not trying to start a fight, just here to make hopefully salient points for a better public transit system. I never want to see a Philly without a robust septa, as annoying as they have been my whole life.)